Sprocket wheel



April 28, 1936.. l G. W. WILMOT SPROCKET WHEEL Filed NOV. 25 1953 INVENTOR.

. @Mgg M Mlm@ A TTORNE Y.

Patented Apr. 28, 1936 UNITED STATES SPROCKET WHEEL George W. Wilmot, Hazleton, Pa., assigner to Wilmot Engineering Company, a ,corporation ofl Pennsylvania Application November 23, 19333, Serial No. 699,352

Claims. (Cl. i4-2743) 'I'he invention relates to a sprocket Wheelvfor conveyer chains and the like and involves an improvement in a sprocket wheel structure designed to provide a support throughout the length 5 of the side links of the sprocket chain and thereby prevent the side links from being bent or broken when subjected to excessive strain in their passage around the sprocket wheel, or when the sprocket teeth have become worn through use.

The sprocket wheel to which the improvement relates is designed primarily for use with a conveyer chain in which the center links alternate with pairs of side links, the two links of each pair of side links being spaced from each other for the purpose of providing an opening to receive the sprocket teeth therebetween. In the structures heretofore employed, means have been provided on the rim of the sprocket wheel, at the base of each tooth, to support the side links of the sprocket chain for a portion only of the length of the side links. In consequence of such a structure the ends of the side links of the chain are either unsupported, or are insuiciently supported to prevent them fromy being bent or broken when passing around the sprocket wheel and when the chain is subjected to undue strain. After extended use of the sprocket wheels, the edges of the teeth frequently become worn to such an extent that the relative positions of the side links with respect to the teeth change so as to provide little or no support for the ends of the side links with the result that the sidelinks are frequently bent or broken by the transverse strain exerted thereon in the plane of the sprocket wheel when the conveyer is in use.

One of the objects of the present invention therefore is the provision on a sprocket wheel of a support for the side links of the sprocket'chain throughout the length of these links. A further 4o object is the provision of means in combination with the teeth of a sprocket wheel to prevent the side links from being bent or broken when these links are subjected to undue transverse strain in their passage around the sprocket wheel. A still further object of the invention is the provision on a sprocket wheel of a support for the ends of the side links when the position of the links on the sprocket wheel, with respect to the sprocket teeth, changes due to wear on the sprocket` teeth.

Still other objects and advantages of the improvement'will be apparent from the following description taken with the accompanying drawing wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational View, partly in Vlinks 2S.

section, showing my improved sprocket wheel with a conveyor chain passing thereabout;

Fig. 2 is a sectional View taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; and

Fig.. 3 is a perspective View of one of the re- 1,

movable sprocket teeth with which I have illustrated my improvement.

I .have disclosed my invention in connection with a sprocket wheel I0 having a hub Il and a circumferential rim I2 connected thereto byrmeans of a web I3 having spaced reinforcements I4 in radial alinement with the sprocket teeth' I5. As disclosed herein, the sprocket teeth I5 are removably secured to the rim of the sprocket wheel in order that broken or worn teeth may be readily replaced. It will| be understood, however, that my invention is equally applicable to other types of sprocket wheels.

As I have illustrated my invention herein, each of the sprocket teeth I5 is arranged centrally of a base member I6 the inner face I'I of which is made to conform generally to the outer face I8 of the rim I2, and is provided with means, such as a transverse rib I9, for engagement with a transverse groove 20 in the rim for preventing circum- "I ferential movement of the base with respect to the rim. Each end of the base is provided with a semi-circular notch 2| which cooperateswith a similar notch in the adjoining end of the base portion of the adjacent sprocket tooth for the reception of a bolt 22 whereby the teeth may be removably secured to the rim. As shown herein, the outer end of the semi-circular notch 2| is formed with a rectangular recess 23 which cooperates with a similar recess in the end of the adjoining base portion for the reception of the square head 24 of the bolt 22. The bolts 22 pass through openings 25 in the rim andthe inner ends thereof are threaded for the reception of vlock nuts 26-positioned for conveniencewithin cut-away portions 21 in the web I3 of the wheel. The base portion I6 of each sprocket tooth I5 extends transversely on each side of the tooth pro-per to provide a pair of opposite shoulders 28 of such a Width as to support the straight-edged side links 29 of the conveyer chain 39 throughout the thicknesses of these links` The shouldersV on the base portion also extend to such a distance beyond each edge of the'tooth as to provide a Ysupport throughout the length of each ofthe sideV In order that the straight-edged centex' links 3l of the chain may position themselves 1 in their passage around the sprocket Wheel, the

opposite ends of the base portion I6 are cut away as shown at 32 to provide channels therein beitv order that the ends of the side links may be prop-V erly supported after a portion of the edges of the sprocket teeth becomes worn away so Ythat theV links are not centered with respect to the sprocket Y teeth. In some cases, however, it maybe sufli-l cient to provide supports for the Vends only of the side links, without extending the Ysupports throughout the length of the side links. In such a'construction, it will `beunderstood that the intermediaterportionsv of the side links would be unsupported.. Y e

` It will be noted further that, withthe structure herein described, the supports forv the side'links Vofthe chain do not interfere with the operation of the center links, the latter being positioned Y Yplane of the sprocket wheel, acts directly uponV lwithin the channels 32 in the Vbase members during the passage vof the links around the wheeL It will also be noted that the transverse pull of theA center links on the cooperating sideylinkS, inthe the supports for the side links, and thereby avoids the 'tendency of the opposite ends of the side links to beraised'from the rim ofthe sprocket wheel, as inthe caseof the sprocket wheels heretofore used.

While I have disclosed my improvementV in con- Y nection with one form of conveyer chain and sprocket wheel, it will be understood that various changes may be madetherein without departing from theV invention as it is covered by the ap- Y pended claims.

Having thus describedV my invention, what I claimis: Y

1. A Vsprocketgvvheel structure comprising a base, a pair of spacedrparallel side' link supports on said base and having the operating faces thereof in the same plane throughout their length,

and a tooth projecting from said base betweenk said supports and spaced from the ends thereof. n

2. A sprocket wheel structure comprising a base,

- a tooth projecting from said base, and oppositely arranged, spaced shoulders projecting longitudi-` nally from each edge of said tooth and havingV the operating faces thereof in thesame plane y throughout their length for supporting the ends of straight-edged side linksV of a sprocket chain.

3. In a sprocket wheel having a circumferential` rim and a plurality of spaced teeth thereon, link supporting means comprising a base projecting laterally to provide shoulders on the opposite sides of each tooth for engagement with straightedged side links of a sprocket chain and pro*- jecting longitudinally in the same plane a distance substantially equal to the length of the side links. 4. In a sprocket wheel fora conveyer chain or the like having straight-edged side linksy spaced for receiving a sprocket tooth therebetween and pivotally connected at their ends to straight-edged center links, a baseV portion projecting transversely beyond theV opposite sides of each tooth Vand longitudinally beyond the opposite edges thereof to provide shoulders in the same planeY for supporting the side links throughout their length, the opposite ends of said base portion being provided With groovesin alinement with theitooth to receive the center links.

5. In combination with'a conveyer chain com` prising pairs of spaced, straight-edged side'V links alternating with straight-edged center links' having the ends pivoted between the ends of the side links, a sprocket wheel having fa' circumferential rim, Va plurality of teeth on said rim forV engaging between' said side links, side link supports on the opposite sides of saidteeth and having the oper-A Y fating faces thereof in the same plane throughout their extent, said supports extending'longitudinally beyond the opposite edges of each tooth to support the side links throughout their length andto provide grooves on the opposite edges of the teeth for receiving the' center links.

GEORGE w. WILMOTQ 

